An Innocent Infatuation
by DeltastoryHR
Summary: [Aged Wendy, now sixteen years old] As Wendy contemplates her growing love for Natsu, the matchmaker, Carla tries to make her confess her feelings. Although, Carla soon regrets her actions, when the two dragon slayers move much farther than she had wanted them to.
1. A Timely Confession

**A/N: **Hello all! I've been on this site for a long time, but this is my first fanfict, and about one of my favorite pairings: Natsu and Wendy! I know Wendy's young, but she's adorable, and her and Natsu would make the cutest couple when she's older. Like I said in the summary, I aged her four years, so, you know, she could actually have a relationship with him. Everyone one else is the same age they are in the anime/manga (ex: Natsu's still 18, at least I think that's how old he is), and I guess you could say this took place a bit after Edolas, since Lisanna's in the story. Oh, and I also added the "mating season" idea. I don't know, I just like when the dragon slayers are drawn to their instincts/nature.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does. But I do own this story.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**A Timely Confession**

"_Wendy..."_

He whispered her name softly, making her body squirm and tingle with pleasure. She felt his warm lips glide across her skin, kissing and nipping the small goosebumps on her arms. Wendy leaned her head back, the sense of euphoria overcoming her, and she inhaled the incredible smell that tickled her nose: burning embers from a fireplace, sandalwood, and musk. More and more, she felt his lips and smelled his scent, causing a fire to burn in her chest and her breathing to hitch in her throat.

"_N-Natsu-san...!"_ She moaned.

In a split second, the climax ended, and a feeling of grogginess spread through Wendy's body, making her refuse to open her eyes. Eventually she did, as she sat up on her bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Seeing the usual layout of her bedroom and her empty bed, Wendy laid back on her pillow with a thud. _Another dream about_ _Natsu-san_, she sighed. She then felt an irritation in her crotch, turned on her stomach, and buried herself in her pillow, her face flushing red.

_Why did I have a dream like this?_ she wondered, ashamed of her own thoughts. Of course, it was normal for her to fantasize about her crush, but to imagine him sexually? Her usual dreams consisted of either a romantic date with the dragon slayer, a festival with her friends, or the destined day when she'd find her adoptive-mother, Grandeeney. But nothing could have prepared her for this. It was at that moment when Wendy remembered something very important: mating season was only a month away.

She groaned loudly, wishing she could kick and scream without waking her roommate up. Mating season hadn't even began, and she was already experiencing sexual urges and desires. Damn her enhanced hormones!

When mating season started in earlier years, the female dragon slayer sometimes felt unexplained heat in her body, but since she never imagined having a mate, she remained controlled and composed. Until now, Wendy never thought the season would become a problem for her. Needing to breath, the girl lifted her head from her muffler and turned on her back, covering her forehead with her arm. _How am I supposed to enter Fairy Tail knowing Natsu-san will be there?_ she sighed. Assuredly, he'd be there, laughing and talking with their team-mates, while she cowered in fear.

Suddenly, the white Exceed, Carla arose from her cat bed, stretched her limbs and stifled a few yawns. Wendy's body immediately jolted up at the cat's awakening, and she faked a broad smile.

"Good morning, Carla," she greeted, cheerfully.

"Good morning," she yawned and used her tiny paws to rub her eyes. "I'm surprised you're up earlier than me. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhm," she hummed, hoping the Exceed would believe her façade. "Ne, Carla, do you want to go on a quest today?"

"Of course I do," Carla said haughtily, and crossed her arms. "I made a bet with the blue cat that we'd complete more requests than him and that dragon slayer this month. If I win, he'll be my personal servant all next month."

"You... never told me about this bet," Wendy sweat-dropped.

"Because we recently made it. And why are you asking me this? I thought you loved working at Fairy Tail."

"I-I do!...But I'm just feeling a little tired today. I really wanted to rest," Wendy said, nervously. There was some truth to this, however. Since she joined Fairy Tail, she had traveled across the border of Fiore and back, re-building devastated towns, defeating criminals, and running from the Magic Council. A day off was more than needed.

"Oh..." Carla said, her enthusiasm seeming to have dropped. "Well, we can take the day off if you want to. We have been working a lot lately. And besides, just losing one day won't hurt my chances of winning."

"If we work too hard we won't get anything done," Wendy added, trying her hardest not to break out into a wide grin and perform cartwheels like a flamboyant acrobatic. Not only would she be free from any humiliating situations happening while on Team Natsu, but she'd also have time to eat out with her friends and spend all of her earnings buying expensive clothes and shoes. _Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all_, Wendy mused.

She then stood up, ignoring the pang in her groin, and walked near their chestnut drawer and mirror. While checking her features, she used a small ponytail holder to tie her long dark blue hair up, and then grabbed a white towel on the dresser, wrapped it around her neck, and turned to the Exceed.

"Are you ready to go to the open bath? The other girls are probably there already," Wendy said, smiling.

A bath was the perfect treatment to stop her pacing heart and quivering legs. The lukewarm water would clear her thoughts, whereas the camaraderie would reduce her stress, and, hopefully, cool down her hormones.

Carla nodded, found her pack of bath supplies in the lowest drawer, and followed her best friend out of the door.

* * *

Refreshed and groomed, Wendy and Carla walked down the streets of Magnolia, as the sound of clacking high heels and soft paw padding hit the ground. It had been weeks since Wendy broke out her designer heels, and today she could enjoy wearing them without worrying she'd fracture her ankles running on a mission.

Unfortunately, her elation dropped once they were close to the guild. Wendy immediately smelled the familiar scent of fire and wood, and felt shivers down her spine. She prayed Natsu and Happy would have taken a request and left before they arrived, but, sadly, her wish didn't come true. Carla seemed to notice her partner's discomfort, as she raised an eyebrow and said, "Wendy, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing!" the girl said, laughing awkwardly. The Exceed glared at her intently, but Wendy held the best grin she could and slowly opened the large barred wooden doors.

Inside, Fairy Tail was its usual display: loud shouts and chants blaring throughout the hall, arguing between comrades (for instance, Gray and Elfman argued who the better man was, which resulted in an arm wrestling contest. A heart-eyed Juvia was on Gray's side, cheering widely, while a worried Lisanna hoped they wouldn't exert themselves too much), drinking competitions (Cana vs. Wakaba, of course, the poor man didn't stand a chance), and odd acts of stupidity, mainly Happy and Lucy's pet, Plue, shaking and dancing on the table like idiots. Carla merely bowed her head and clapped a hand on her forehead. "That blue cat..."she muttered, embarrassed.

Wendy couldn't help but giggle, as she saw Natsu cheer and clap for them, and Lucy shake her head in disapproval. _What was I worried about? _she thought. Despite having her dream, she was still the same Wendy who had been apart of Fairy Tail for three months now, and a permanent member of Team Natsu. She shouldn't have let a little fantasy ruin the joy she felt with her friends.

Feeling content, Wendy walked to the bar, with Carla on her heels. As she sat down and Carla seated herself on the countertop, Mirajane, who was scrubbing glasses, greeted the two and poured them both glasses of orange juice. Wendy sipped the cooling agent, feeling the last bits of her anxiety wash away, and spent the next few minutes talking with the bartender.

During their conversation, Wendy looked towards Carla, who had crossed her arms and looked at her thoughtfully. Wendy could feel the sweat drip down her back, as she knew the Exceed was starting to figure out why she acted strange earlier. This definitely wasn't the first time Wendy had freaked out thinking of seeing her crush; and from that first time, Carla had watched her like a hawk. Nervous, Wendy drank more of her orange juice.

It was then when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and almost choked on her drink. Staring into her eyes, with a cheerful grin, was Natsu.

"Ne, Wendy! Do you want to go on a quest today?" He asked, his voice filled with excitement.

"A-A quest?" she stammered, hardly able to keep from trembling.

She hadn't even expected Natsu to speak to her today, much less invite her on a mission. And speaking of which, by the way he asked her, did that mean only the two of them were going? The two of them, alone, by themselves, no one to bother them? But, then again, Happy would join them, he _was_ Natsu's partner and companion. But, wait a second, Happy was no where nearby; he was still dancing with Plue. Perhaps Natsu told Happy to take the day off, so he could exclusively be with Wendy. However, the blue Exceed would have declined, he _did_ have that bet with Carla, and there was no way he would want himself to lose. Unless, he really wanted to be Carla's servant for all of next month. And with Happy, that was possible.

Wendy desperately wanted to shake her head and force her scattering thoughts to disperse; but instead, she tried to stay calm, knowing if she made one wrong move, Carla would be questioning her all night long.

"Yeah. Me, Happy, Lucy, and Gray took a request this morning. We were waiting for you to get here before we left," Natsu said.

And just as soon as her anticipation came, it was gone, and she quickly remembered her agreement with Carla. "Um, actually, Natsu-san," Wendy began. "Carla and I wanted to rest today..."

"Oh...well, I understand," he said, somewhat disappointed. He then beamed his ever-present grin. "You _have_ been working with us ever since you joined the guild. I should've realized you guys were gonna need a break. Well, I guess I'll see you when we get back then. Bye, Wendy."

Before he left, he rubbed her blue hair affectionately, making her face instantly flush scarlet. Wendy hastily grabbed her orange juice and drank, hoping the chill would cool the fire in her cheeks, but, nonetheless, she still felt hot and her heart was pounding in her ears. After she chugged the drink, she glanced at Carla, who tried to hide a smirk behind her lips as she sipped her juice. _She knew! _

"Wendy, I'm surprised you didn't want to leave with them," Mirajane said. She tucked a white strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. "You know, I've been thinking this for a while but...I think Natsu likes you."

Wendy thought her heart jumped out of her throat. "M-Mira...you can't be serious," She laughed.

"No, I am," she said, beginning to prophesy their future together like a hopeful matchmaker. "Natsu's always nice to you, and you're both dragon slayers, so I know you must be compatible. Oh, you'd be so cute together~!"

"M-Mira..."Wendy sighed, wanting to curb her enthusiasm.

But, Mirajane didn't stop, as she continued to predict where their first date would take place and what their children's names would be. Wendy wanted to die.

And while her best friend suffered, Carla sipped more of her drink and smiled, laughing inwardly from seeing Wendy's crimson-colored face.

* * *

After having to hear Mirajane's exaggerated predictions for the rest of the morning, Wendy was grateful that Levy asked her out on a shopping spree in the afternoon. Finally, she was free from the love-struck bartender and able to buy cute outfits and accessories. Really, Levy was a saint!

However, throughout the occasion, Wendy sensed Carla's eyes watching her constantly. Undoubtedly, the Exceed was waiting for the perfect chance to reveal her not-so-secret crush. To distract her, Wendy showed her several cat costumes, hats, and bows, all sporting jingling bells and polished jewels. The Exceed loved every design the girl picked for her and hurriedly went to try them on in the dressing rooms.

Meanwhile, Levy became starry-eyed at her clothing choices and wanted to buy numerous sets of outfits and hair ribbons. It confused Wendy a bit when the bookworm made a beeline to the metal and punk rock section of a particular store and contemplated buying some spikes and chains. Eventually, it dawned on her that Levy must had been thinking about Gajeel and wanted to impress him with a new look.

During her short three months at Fairy Tail, Wendy observed a few could-be relationships, primarily Gajeel and Levy, Gray and Juvia (although, Gray always seemed annoyed by her persistence) and Erza and Jellal (albeit he wasn't a member of the guild, but a close friend to her). There were others she could picture together, but the ideas pained her and made her heart twist with jealously. Natsu and Lucy, or Natsu and Lisanna.

They were his closest friends in the guild, and it aggravated Wendy whenever she saw either of them talk and laugh with him for hours on end or touch him possessively. Because she hated her growing jealousy, Wendy tried to forget her anger, but the envy returned, nevertheless. If only she knew whether they had feelings for him, then maybe she'd be able to confess to him.

When they arrived at Fairy Hills, Wendy and Carla bid goodnight to Levy and returned to their room, exhausted but overjoyed. Wendy plopped down on her bed and yanked her heels off, wondering how Lucy could strut in the shoes for so long. She then searched through her shopping bags and began the exciting task of hanging the pieces of wardrobe in their closet. By the time she opened her bags, Carla had already assorted dozens of outfits into her area of the closet, having released her white wings to reach the hangers.

"Aren't you glad we took the day off, Carla?" Wendy said, beaming.

"I'll admit, I never thought shopping could be so much fun!" the Exceed cheered.

Wendy couldn't help but smile at Carla's happiness; it'd been quite some time since she expressed a grin that wide.

Wendy rummaged through her share, finding a beautiful black halter dress with a jewel encrusted neckline. She reveled in the dress' impeccable design the second she spotted it and bought it without even checking the price tag. A foolish decision, but she didn't care as long as she had the gorgeous ensemble. Who knew when there'd be an extravagant dinner party or a white-tie celebration? Or maybe it'd be better to wear the dress on an evening date. Natsu would probably faint from how amazing she looked!

Immediately, Wendy blushed and tried to think of something unsettling to clear her mind. Happy wearing a girl's swimsuit. Yep, that did the trick!

The two spent a good thirty minutes unpacking and storing the rest of their clothes, and when they finished, they both put on their pajamas and laid in their respective beds. Wendy had been reading a copy of the Weekly Sorcerer when she suddenly heard Carla call her.

"Oh, Wendy, I forgot to say this earlier," Carla began. "...You're in love with Natsu, aren't you?"

Without noticing, Wendy dropped the magazine and stared at Carla like a deer in headlights, her mouth agape and her cheeks the bright red color of a tomato. _Where did this come from!_ she wanted to scream. She should have realized her distractions wouldn't have worked forever, Carla was bound to remember what happened at the guild!

Wendy quickly blinked and laughed, "What are you talking about? Natsu-san is my friend and—,"

"You're a horrible liar, Wendy," Carla sighed. "I knew you were acting different around him for a while now. You should've just told me."

Defeated, the poor girl hung her head down and sighed. "I've wanted to tell you, but...I didn't want to get my hopes up that maybe Natsu-san does like me,"

"Argh! You really are stupid!" the Exceed cried. "How could you think he wouldn't like you? You heard Mira today, it's obvious that he does. And I bet she's not the only one who noticed the way he acts around you."

"But...Natsu-san has Lucy and Lisanna. They've both known him longer than I have," Wendy said.

"So what? That means they're his friends, not love interests," Carla replied, nonchalantly.

"Then, that means he might think of me as just a friend too,"

"If he just thought you were a friend, he wouldn't be overly friendly and touch your hair," Carla said.

Remembering Natsu's warm hand on her head made Wendy's cheeks turn pink, but she shoved the thought away, reminded of something else. "Lucy touches Natsu-san all the time when we're on quests."

"Maybe Lucy likes him. That doesn't mean he likes her,"

"Carla!"

"This argument could last for days,"the Exceed groaned. "...If you really want to settle this, you should confess to Natsu. Then you'll know whether he likes you, or Lucy, or any other girl in Fairy Tail."

"C-Confess!" Wendy gasped, feeling like a knife was plunged into her chest. "I can't! I'll be humiliated if he rejects me!"

"You don't have any other options, Wendy," she said. "Besides, if your theory is correct that Lucy and Lisanna like him, they'll definitely try to snatch him away before you even have the chance."

"B-But I..."Wendy muttered, fear beginning to well within her.

"You're worrying too much," Carla said. "Even if, and I only mean_ if_, Natsu rejected you, that wouldn't change your friendship with him or the fact that you're on the same team. And if, as I know will happen, Natsu accepts you, then you'll be happy and won't be jealous of Lucy and Lisanna again. Just try, Wendy. Nothing will change, if you don't try."

Carla had a point, she realized. No matter what would occur, Natsu would remain the cheerful and adorable dragon slayer she loved, and even if he rejected her or accepted her, she'd have to deal with the consequences regardless. Wendy carefully considered following Carla's plan. She hardly declared her true feelings when talking with others, let alone made a confession. Maybe it was time she stopped running away, and faced her fears...

"I'll think about it..."she mumbled.

"Wendy!"

"Alright, I'll do it," she said. "But, only when the time is right."

"And when is that supposed to be?" Carla asked, obviously hesitant of the girl's response.

"I-I don't know...when I ready," Wendy said, looking away.

"How about this? I'll give you until the time Natsu and the others return from their quest,"

"That's too soon!"

"No, it's not," the Exceed said. "They picked out a request that needed more than three people, if you count Happy, so they're probably meeting with a high-end client somewhere far from here. With that said, Natsu won't last long on the train without your Troia, which'll push their time back, and knowing him and Gray, they'll accidentally destroy something important, pushing their time back even more. I give it at least two weeks until they return. That should be plenty of time for you to prepare for your confession."

Dumbfounded, Wendy sat in shock at how fast her partner calculated the team's events. And based on their experience, she was exactly right. Carla truly was a genius.

"Two weeks, huh?" Wendy said, in thought. "Okay. You're right, that should be enough time."

"See? I told you. And I'll be right by your side, no matter what the outcome may be,"

Wendy nodded and finally smiled. For weeks, she worried about her relationship with Natsu, afraid to look at him or speak to him. And in a couple of minutes, Carla completely obliterated the fear and stress that was building in her body. Sure, the confession still unnerved her, but Carla would comfort her and she had two weeks to relax and prepare herself. A calming relief spread over her and she knew she'd sleep like a baby tonight. _Everything will be __fine__. _

She then placed her magazine on the nearby drawer and reached for the light switch on the lamp, turning it off and engulfing the room in darkness.

"Carla, thank you," Wendy said, leaning on her pillow.

"Hm. You don't need to thank me, you just worry too much," she replied, having closed her eyes and snuggled into her blanket.

Wendy smiled, laid on her pillow, closed her eyes, and fell asleep, not even wondering whether she'd have another dream like the night before.

* * *

**A/N: **Whew, a lengthy read, but I hoped you all enjoyed/liked/loved this chapter! If you're wondering whether Wendy's OOC in this, well, I tried to give her the maturity of a 16-year old teenager, but I also wanted her to keep her polite and kind self that she has when she's 12. That's also why she doesn't use the honorific "-san" anymore when addressing people, except for Natsu. It's a term of endearment, since he's still her mentor and she's in love with , I'm planning on making this fic at least 4-5 chapters long, and hopefully I'll update every week or less (school may get to me some days).

Once again, thanks for reading and don't forget to hit that review button!


	2. Her Fluttering Heartbeat

**A/N: **Hello once again! Thank you all SO MUCH for reading, and to those of you who reviewed/followed/favorited this story you get an extra thank you! Really, you have no idea how happy I was (and still am) when I checked my email and saw a flood of messages! Thank you, thank you, thank you! ^_^

A slight warning before reading: my writing has somewhat changed from the first chapter. I'm still trying to test out which writing style is best for me, so please excuse the inconvenience if there even is one.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fairy Tail.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Her Fluttering Heartbeat**

Wendy's eyes flew open. She stared at the ceiling, her heartbeat rapid and her large chest lifting up and down. Immediately embarrassed, Wendy grabbed her pillow and buried her head in its depth, groaning unintelligible words. How on Fiore's green earth did she have yet another dream about Natsu? She thought her worries and stress were gone, sealed in an empty jar never to bother her again. But they were back, and with a vengeance, wanting to corrupt the poor girl's mind and deprive her of a good night's sleep. Wendy clutched her pillow harder, wishing she could go into her brain and snap the nerve cords that controlled her thoughts.

Fearing she'd suffocate to death, the sky dragon slayer threw the pillow off her face and caught her breath. A few short minutes later, Carla woke up, and Wendy faked the brightest smile she could. She hoped the Exceed wouldn't question her or stare, and thankfully it seemed that the heavens were answering her prayers.

However, Wendy soon hated the heavens for making her next four mornings hellish nightmares. With each passing night, Wendy's fantasies became more vivid and sensual, forcing the girl to awake with a start, heaving and sweating as if she had ran a marathon, while Carla slept peacefully, probably dreaming about catnip and expensive clothes. But, what irritated Wendy the most was having to constantly wake up and not see Natsu sleeping soundly beside her. On the fourth morning, Wendy almost tore her bed apart, wanting to throw the mattress and headboard out of the window, while screaming like a mad woman. She even noticed Carla's staring when she started stomping around their bedroom angrily, mumbling and growling.

It was odd for Wendy to see her sudden transformation. She knew she was a sweet, and polite girl, perhaps the kindest person in the guild, besides Mirajane (well, when she didn't use her magic, **Satan Soul**), and now she was bitter and distraught, never seen without a permanent scowl on her face. Carla suggested her best friend take a soothing bath to ease her stress or go on a self-indulging shopping spree, but Wendy refused both ideas. Unable to continue sharing a room in silence and, overall bored, Carla decided they should start looking for jobs at Fairy Tail, which, surprisingly, Wendy agreed to. Since they still expected Natsu, Happy, Lucy, and Gray to return in about a week, they needed a simple job at a location nearby. Hopefully, it wouldn't take too long, if they teamed up with the right people. But, unfortunately, the S-class mage, Erza left on a solo-mission earlier in the day, and Levy, the duo's last resort, partnered with her team, Shadow Gear, and Gajeel and Pantherlily.

So, their only choice was to partner with the somewhat inexperienced Lisanna, who took a request to capture a group of thieves and bandits. Wendy tried to smile as she and Lisanna shook hands, but she couldn't shake the urge to roughly grip the girl's palm and watch her hunch over in pain. Lisanna was her enemy, at least from what her mind and hormones told her. She held a key to Natsu's heart and read him like an open book, from beginning to middle to end. Wendy even remembered a small bet of whether the two would date roaming around after Lisanna returned from Edolas.

"Wendy, I'm glad we can finally begin a mission together! I know we'll do our best! I'm counting on you!" Lisanna said airily.

"I'm counting on you too, Lisanna!" Wendy said, trying not to break the girl's hand.

At first, the mission didn't seem to be a problem. After the trio questioned the village people and their mayor, they proceeded to investigate the hideout of the bandits. There, they found several stolen items, and when the culprits arrived Wendy defeated them with her Sky Dragon Slayer magic, blowing them away with her mighty **Sky Dragon's Roar**. The remaining thieves tried to flee, but Lisanna used her Take Over magic to transform into a bird and swoop down to catch them in her beak. All in all, it took the girls less than two days to apprehend their criminals, a personal record in Fairy Tail charts.

However, as Wendy figured would happen, Lisanna erased any chance of them becoming friends, due to her constant talk about Natsu and their childhood together. Her stories ranged from the time she met Natsu to when they discovered a strange-looking egg, and so on. Wendy wanted to strangle the girl, and surprisingly, Carla seemed to be sharing a similar thought. In the end, the mission proved that other than being guild-mates, Wendy and Carla had nothing in common with Lisanna, and they wanted to keep it that way.

When they returned to Magnolia, Wendy couldn't stop herself from glaring at the Take-Over mage and forming her hands into tight fists. She could practically feel a red aura encircle her body whenever she saw Lisanna, and for that matter, anyone who spoke Natsu's name. Every time someone looked at her strangely, she snarled like a vicious dragon, and they quickly turned around, trying to hide the sweat dripping down their faces. But, before she could seriously injure her guild-mates, Carla would gently touch her wrist or hand, draining the rage from her body. Her usual self would have clasped her hands on her face and apologized relentlessly, but during these last few days, she'd simply cross her arms and frown.

* * *

On the second to last night before Team Natsu's predicted arrival, Carla presented a notebook of neatly handwritten plans she stated were necessary for Wendy's confession. Until Carla reminded her, Wendy had completely forgotten about the confession, and, oddly enough, she was eager to finally reveal her feelings. She studied the notes, mentally preparing herself for her upcoming task. From the layout on the paper, Carla had broadened her ideas into three plans of action:

**Operation #1**_: __Drop By His House Unexpected_—This plan seemed to be the easiest and most straightforward out of all three, since Wendy needed to meet Natsu privately at his home. Carla would lead Happy outside, leaving the two dragon slayers alone; a perfect opportunity for Wendy to confess her feelings, without the added embarrassment coming from nosy spectators and eavesdroppers.

**Operation #2:**_ Talk To Him At The Guild—_This operation was much different from the first and included the additional humiliation. Conversing with Natsu and alluding to the confession wouldn't be too difficult, but the guild members would definitely hear every word they said. And perhaps, they'd ruin Wendy's chances by starting a fight, and of course, Natsu would be involved.

**Operation #3: **_Confess Privately When Out With Friends_—By far, the most awkward and time-consuming plan. Wendy and Carla would invite Team Natsu to a friendly lunch or dinner as a form of celebrating their recent successful mission. When they'd leave the restaurant, Wendy would walk with Natsu, purposely leading him away from the group, while Carla distracted the others. And once the two were alone, Wendy would admit her feelings. Although, whether this operation worked or not, was slim, because there was no guarantee Natsu wouldn't be fighting with Gray.

"So, we should follow the first plan," Wendy said, eyeing the notes carefully. "We need to ask someone where Natsu-san and Happy live."

"Actually..." Carla began. "I don't think that's our best option. You've never been in a boy's house before, and I worry what would happen when Happy and I leave."

A bit of pink flashed on Wendy's cheeks. She crossed her arms and huffed. "Carla, whatever you're thinking is not going to happen. Natsu-san—"

"Is a man, Wendy," the Exceed interjected sharply. "And with the way you've been acting, I wouldn't be surprised if you two went too far."

Wendy scowled. _Who's worrying now, Carla?_ She could already feel the anger bubbling up inside her and unconsciously balled her hands into fists. First of all, how dare Carla interrupt her while she was talking about _Natsu_, and secondly, how could the Exceed believe she'd _immediately_ go that far with him? She wasn't a female dog, panting in heat and waiting for the right male to grope her from behind. Wendy resembled a _sky dragon_. An elegant yet fearsome being, who charmed her mate with her beauty and appeal, and then, when _she_ felt they were ready, they'd move onto the next level. Really, Carla needed to understand how a sky dragon operated.

Having read the expression on Wendy's face, Carla sighed. "Listen, can we discuss this later? I'm exhausted and I'd like to take a bath." She then brushed her arm and cringed at the dirt laying in her fur.

Still enraged, Wendy stared at Carla heatedly. As Carla walked to the dresser and mirror set and rummaged through the lowest drawer for her bathing supplies, Wendy slowly took a few deep breaths, regaining her composure. The Exceed was right. They both needed a bath to scrub off their germs, and Wendy especially needed the soothing lukewarm relief to settle her nerves.

* * *

"Ahh..." Wendy sighed, weaving her fingers through her damp blue hair. Feeling the milky bath water and smelling the cherry blossom bubble bath was all she needed to release her pent-up anger and irritation. Although, said anger and irritation reappeared when she saw the always cheerful Lisanna washing Mirajane's back in the shower section. **  
**

Remembering the event, Wendy blew a sigh and inwardly told herself to calm down. She then noticed the newest edition of the _Weekly Sorcerer _she bought beside her and grinned. Reading some entertaining articles and stories about the most infamous mages and their guilds would definitely evaporate the leftover stress she had. Wendy skimmed through the pages, skipping a long article featuring the women's "favorite" male, Loke. Sure, he was a good friend of hers, but he could never compare to _her_ chosen favorite. Wendy smirked. In less than 48 hours, she'd finally be able to see her mate and greet him with open arms. Her cheeks flushed red, as she felt the excitement surge through her body and cooed thinking of their first date.

Suddenly, a whiff of smoke and tree-leaves entered Wendy's thoughts and made the dragon slayer close her eyes and flare her nostrils. The smell was intoxicating, wrapping her in a warm and protective embrace. Lost in the sensation, Wendy hugged her arms and let the incredible aroma surround her.

"Wendy. What are you doing?" Carla asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh?" The girl's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Uh, it's cold..."

"Hmm, no wonder. The window's open." The Exceed said. Wendy looked at the framework, stunned. She didn't even know the window was open until Carla mentioned it. The Exceed released her white wings and landed on the windowsill, closing the small crack.

Wendy frowned, but meekly thanked Carla. Now that the amazing scent was gone, Wendy sighed and leaned back against her pillow, continuing to read her magazine, while Carla sat in her cat bed and read a clothing booklet.

Twenty more pages in, Wendy looked up and sniffed the air, smelling the same charcoal scent. It was coming _closer_. How could the smell be coming closer, she wondered. Carla closed the window, making it impossible for something as broad as a "scent" to infiltrate their bedroom. Perhaps it was merely her keen nose picking up the various scents near the Fairy Hills dormitory?

"Ahh...Wendy, I think it's time to call it a night," Carla yawned, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Alright," Wendy nodded and stifled a small yawn. She needed her beauty rest, and worrying over a scent, no matter how stimulating it was, would not help her fatigue.

Wendy closed her magazine, placed it on the bedside drawer and reached to turn off the lamp switch. As the room filled with darkness, Wendy whispered a goodnight to her roommate, covered herself in her blankets, and fell asleep.

…

…

**-CRASH!-**

**-BANG!-**

"HEY, IS ANYBODY HOME?!"

"AYE! WE NEED HELP!"

"WHO IN THE WORLD IS MAKING ALL OF OUT THAT NOISE?!"

"E-ERZA? W-WE DIDN'T THINK YOU'D BE AWAKE!"

"Y-YOU'RE USUALLY A HEAVY SLEEPER..."

"WHY ARE YOU TWO HERE?! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU: BOYS ARE NOT ALLOWED!"

"Ughhh..." Wendy groaned. Who would be yelling this late at night? She had a good nerve or two to head downstairs and raise hell about the horrible disturbance, but she was far too dizzy and tired to get up. Wendy shifted on her stomach, rested her head on her pillow, and re-started counting sheep (or in her case, dragons).

"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! WE CAME HERE FOR A GOOD REASON!"

"AYE! PLEASE DON'T KILL US!"

"YOU HAVE THREE SECONDS TO TELL ME! 1...2..."

"What is going on down there?" Carla yelled, covering her ears with her paws.

Wendy lifted her blanket over her head, wishing the heavy comforter drowned out the shouting, but nonetheless, the blaring sounds drilled into her skull like a jack hammer. It was then, after she had pushed the sheets off herself and began walking towards the door, ready to punch whoever was causing the uproar, when the intoxicating scent drifted into her nose again. It was _stronger_. No longer was it wrapping around her, but _inside_ her, twisting and shaping in her nose and forming on her tongue. Her heart rate increased and her cheeks flushed.

In an instant, Wendy's rage had vanished and was replaced by pure joy. Her mate, her one and only mate, returned! (Albeit sooner than she had expected) A feeling of completeness centered in her being, as she tried her hardest not to grin from ear to ear. A week and six days without Natsu turned the girl into a monster, biting and snapping at anyone who walked on her path. And in one moment, she was restored.

Wendy pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her fluttering heartbeat, and grabbed the door knob. But, before she could open the door and run downstairs, she heard a series of footsteps and stomps, most likely the inhabitants of Fairy Hills piling out into the hallway.

"Dammit, I was having the most wonderful dream and that Titania wakes me up," Evergreen said angrily.

"Why is Erza yelling so much?" Levy said groggily.

"Someone must have tried to sneak in, " Bisca said. "That's the only reason I can think of for her to be this mad."

"A nightly guest? Juvia wants to know if it's Gray-sama," Juvia piped.

"Of course not," Cana sighed. "Gray wouldn't be this stupid."

"From the sound of their voices, I think it's Natsu and Happy," Mirajane said.

"Natsu?" Lisanna said excitedly.

Wendy furrowed her brows and growled, hearing the Take-Over mage. She wished a giant monster would storm into their dormitory, yank Lisanna off the ground, and dangle her from its mouth.

Suddenly, a loud pounding erupted, knocking the daydream from Wendy's mind. The noise sounded as if a ferocious beast was stomping up the stairs, the sound of clanking armor and weaponry pulsating in the hall.

"Eh? Erza, why are you dressed like that?" Cana asked.

There was no response, but a rough banging reverberated on Wendy and Carla's bedroom door, nearly making the girl fall back on her behind from shock.

"Wendy, please wake up!" Erza called. "You have a visitor downstairs."

* * *

**A/N: **I had a good laugh writing this chapter, and no, I don't have some serious grudge against Lisanna. I just did the best I could to portray Wendy's jealousy. With that said, Wendy shows her jealously towards Lucy as well, but that's next chapter (a little hint for you!). Also, how did you like angry or "evil" Wendy? If you liked her, I'm glad, and if you didn't, don't worry, she'll revert back to her usual self (well, in the beginning...) now that her _mate _has returned, hehe.

Tell me your thoughts in a review!


	3. Who Do You Like?

**A/N:** Hello, all! I'm sorry for the very late update, but I still hope you enjoy this chapter! Again, thank you to all that have read/ reviewed/liked/favorited my story!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fairy Tail.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Who Do You Like?**

"Well, aren't you going to open the door, Wendy?" Carla asked, rising from her cat bed.

Wendy nodded and gently grasped the door knob. She slowly tried to turn the handle, but her hand slipped off the knob and fell to her side. In a matter of seconds, she lost feeling in her body, a dreadful numbness spread throughout her being and paralyzed her. Aware of Carla's peering eyes on her back, Wendy caught her breath and attempted to clutch the handle again, but her fingers would not move. Was she afraid? How could she be, when a mere minute ago she was practically jumping for joy and cheering happily? Natsu returned from his mission, and he had came to see her. Indeed, this was a perfect opportunity for her to confess!

Wendy felt small knots form in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to sprint down the stairs, hear Natsu call her name, and feel her heart swoon when he'd beam his adorable grin. Yet, a horrible ache was settling in her chest that made her head spin and her fingers refuse to open the door.

"WENDY!" Erza's booming voice shouted.

If it weren't for her tight grasp on the handle, the sky dragon slayer would have fallen over from a heart attack. As her body suddenly sprang back to life, Wendy quickly opened the door and stood, terrified. There Erza was, with dark bags under her eyes and dressed in an armored breastplate and holding a large sword in her right hand. The S-class mage was furious.

"Good. You're awake," Erza seethed. "Please go downstairs. Natsu needs your assistance."

"Assistance?" Wendy asked, nervously. She registered "Assistance" to "Healing", as she wasn't normally called unless her powers were needed. Wendy wanted to kick herself. Of course, Natsu only desired to see her because he was injured. "A-Alright. I'll see him."

It was then when she heard a loud cry and saw Cana, who was wearing a pair of blue pajamas with dancing sheep on them, throw her hands up in frustration. Obviously, the lack of sleep was taking a major toll on the Card Magic mage, as she swore she'd brutally maim Natsu for disrupting their rest to suit _his _needs. Levy, Evergreen, and Bisca agreed with the brunette and proceeded to march down the steps, growling under their breath and clenching their fists. Thankfully, the voices of reason, Lisanna and Mirajane tried to calm the girls, but their pleas were ignored, and they were forced to follow the angry group downstairs.

Before Wendy could utter a sound, her body was suddenly jolted forward. Erza had grabbed her arm and began to pull excessively, dragging the girl after her roommates. Wendy tried to wiggle out of the S-class warrior's iron grip, but her arms felt like gelatin and the horrible numbness started to infiltrate her limbs. She wished she could have broke free and made a beeline to her bedroom, slamming the door shut and laying on her mattress for all eternity. Her heart rate was accelerating, and the steady pounding made her feel sick to her stomach. Why wouldn't Erza let her go? She didn't want to be humiliated by the man she loved.

-_**CLANG!-**_

Wendy felt a hot pool of pain center in her skull and pressed her hands on her forehead. She thought a bulldozer had slammed into her brain from the sheer agony she was experiencing, but it was truly Erza's hard armor smashing into her head. Since the mage didn't move an inch or seem irritated by the impact, Wendy surmised Erza hadn't felt the collision at all. Defeated, the sky dragon slayer took a deep breath and held back her tears.

Regaining her composure, Wendy realized they were in the lobby, an elongated corridor with a wooden counter, sofa, armchair, coffee table, and flower vases for decoration. Wendy's face turned scarlet when she looked near the entrance door and saw Natsu standing against the wall, with Happy by his side. Although, his ever-present grin was gone, and his eyebrows were furrowed and his arms were crossed.

Enraged, Cana stepped in front of the fire dragon slayer and began to shout and upbraid him for arriving at their dormitory. The loud noise hammered into Wendy's already throbbing brain and her ears started ringing. At this rate, the girl knew she'd have a migraine in the morning.

"Natsu! How many times have we told you: this is the _girls'_ dorm, idiot! GIRLS! You're not allowed in here unless the Master sent you or there was an emergency!" The Card Magic mage yelled.

"I told you," Natsu said, rather nonchalantly. "I have an injury."

"If you can walk and talk, then you're fine! Now leave!" Cana said.

"Hm? I remember you've once left a mission to come back to the guild and have Wendy heal you. And it was only a small wound on your arm. Isn't this the same thing?" Natsu said.

"That was different! And it wasn't a small wound, it—,"

"Didn't you also force Wendy to cancel a quest assignment, because you wanted her to heal you when you were sick?" Natsu said.

"But that was—!"

"And, weren't you the one who—"

"NATSU!" Cana screamed and lunged at the fire dragon slayer. Natsu successfully dodged her strike, but she quickly rose to her feet and lunged again, shouting loud curses and expletives. In the nick of time, Lisanna caught Cana's waist and used all of her strength to hold the brunette back. Cana cried another round of curses and shook her fist in the air, kicking and flailing as Lisanna held her. Natsu, on the other hand, grabbed his sides and hunched over, laughing as if Cana's attempt to attack him was the most hilarious moment of his life. However, his laughter made the rest of the exhausted girls even angrier. Soon, the girls were moving their way towards him, ready to claw and scratch his face.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Erza roared.

Immediately, everyone in the vicinity stopped their bickering and focused their attention on the red-haired warrior. Erza stepped forward and stared at Natsu. Although the mage spoke seemed relaxed and collected, Wendy swore she saw a dark mist surround her body.

"Natsu, you said you needed to be healed, and I brought Wendy here for you. Once she's finished, you need to leave. Understand?" Erza warned.

Natsu looked like he had seen Death itself. His body was trembling, and he nervously raised his right hand to his forehead and said, "Aye, sir!" Oblivious to his partner's fear, Happy saluted as well and cheerfully repeated his catchphrase.

Erza sighed, sheathed her sword, and turned to the girls. "We should give them some privacy. Everyone go back to your rooms."

The exasperated women followed Erza's orders and headed up the stairs. Some muttered angry words Wendy assumed were about Natsu, but nonetheless, they all, including Cana, left in a timely and orderly manner. Once Erza ascended the staircase, the unpleasant soreness in Wendy's chest appeared again, and she desperately wanted to hurry after them. But, she felt a small nudge on her calf that somewhat presented a cooling relief over her. She looked down and blinked in surprise to see Carla, tugging on her pajamas. Wendy hadn't even noticed her partner left their bedroom.

The white Exceed stared at her intently, and Wendy knew exactly what she wanted to say: _This is your chance_. The blue-haired girl gulped and felt an invisible force squeezing her heart, crushing and compressing the red organ until it would burst.

Carla let go of Wendy's pant leg, walked near Happy, and grabbed his paw. "C'mon, Happy, there's a large fish tank in the living room," she said. "There are fish in there you can't find in the ocean."

"R-Really?" Happy asked, his small body bubbling with excitement.

"Really. Now follow me."

The two Exceeds strolled through the lobby and entered an adjacent hallway.

"Wow, they have everything here," Natsu said, grinning cheerfully. "This place is even better than Lucy's house!"

Wendy cringed slightly hearing her love rival's name, but she cast her thoughts away; her growing anger would only hinder her in this situation.

"Natsu-san, where do you need me to heal you?" she asked, anxiously.

"Oh, right," he said. Natsu plopped down on the sofa and opened his black waistcoat, revealing more of his toned and muscular bare chest. Wendy forced herself to not gaze at his physique and concentrate on the purple bruise on his lower stomach. However, her eyes betrayed her, as she couldn't stop scanning his pectorals and six-pack. She knew an abnormal amount of blood was rushing to her cheeks and prayed Natsu wouldn't notice.

Natsu pointed to his wound. "I got this when a bandit on our quest punched me with brass knuckles. It still hurts like hell."

"A-Alright. I'll be able to stop the pain, but the bruise may be there for a couple of more days," Wendy said.

Wendy sat on the sofa and placed her hands over Natsu's abdomen. She fixed her attention specifically on his injury and centered her magic in the palms of her hands. A small teal aura of air energy formed, and the dark color of the bruise lightened.

"Your magic's really incredible, Wendy," Natsu smiled. "You should have been there on our mission. The leader of the bandits we had to find used Sky Magic. I know you would have defeated him in one shot with your **Sky Dragon's Roar**!"

"O-Oh..." the girl mumbled.

"But, that stupid ice bastard tried to beat him, and he got his ass kicked!" Natsu snarled. "So I had to use my magic and that's when the bandit punched me. It was Gray's fault that I got like this. And then, that pervert lost his clothes in the heat of the battle! Lucy couldn't think straight for a while because of that. If you were there, Wendy, none of this would have happened."

Wendy smiled. She wished she could stop her healing and thank him for his praise with a kiss. But after nearly hyperventilating from the thought process, she decided to control her urge and continue her work.

When only a quarter of Natsu's wound was still discolored, Wendy hovered her hands over his abdomen, but saw her fingers shake when she realized she was extremely close to his pelvis. She quickly shook her head and forbid her mind to conjure up any inappropriate thoughts. Hoping Natsu didn't see her wandering eyes, she shyly looked at him, but almost choked when she saw his gaze trained on her chest.

She glimpsed at where he was staring and blushed. Her pajama top was unbuttoned half way, exposing quite a bit of her cleavage. Wendy couldn't believe what was happening: Natsu, who usually seemed indifferent towards the opposite sex, was looking at her body, and his face was clear evidence that he was greatly affected by the display in front of him. A tiny sliver of Wendy's conscience wanted to slap Natsu for his perverted staring, but the greater half of herself wanted to pin him down on the sofa, let him unbutton the rest of her shirt and show him what he really wanted to see.

"I've finished healing you, Natsu-san," Wendy murmured tensely, and avoided eye contact. "I hope you feel better."

Natsu looked at his abdomen and touched around the small blemish. "Yeah, I feel great now," He got up from the sofa, straightened his waistcoat, and beamed another smile. "Thanks, Wendy. I'm glad I came to you when I did."

Natsu then rubbed Wendy's blue hair, causing the girl to flush bright red, and walked near the entrance door. "I hope Carla's almost done showing Happy around. Erza's gonna kill us if we don't leave soon."

Wendy stared at her thighs and gulped. Her heart was thumping painfully against her rib cage, but she forced herself to take a deep breath and say the horrifying words she feared for the past week and a half.

"Um, N-Natsu-san," Wendy stammered. "D-Do you like someone?"

"Huh?" Natsu muttered, confused. "What are you talking about Wendy? I like everyone. Well, except that bastard, Gray."

Wendy shook her head. "N-No. I mean, do you like someone, romantically?"

"Oh..." Natsu replied, shyly. "Um...yeah...I do."

Wendy quickly looked up and saw that Natsu was looking away from her. A pink blush was spread across his cheeks. She already made it this far, she needed to take one more leap!

"Who?"

"WENDY!" Erza's loud voice called from upstairs. "Has Natsu left yet?!"

Before Wendy could close her mouth, a pounding thundered down the stairs, and Erza, now wearing lavender-colored pajamas with magenta crosses on them, appeared, with her arms cross and a deep scowl on her face.

"Natsu...Wendy has finished healing you, correct?" Erza seethed.

"Y-Yes! Don't worry, Erza, Happy and I are leaving!" Natsu shouted as he fidgeted and squirmed frantically. Although in his excitement, he didn't forget to turn towards Wendy, who now stared wide-eyed and had her mouth agape. "Sorry, Wendy, we can talk later!"

Just then, Happy and Carla strolled into the lobby, and by their expressions, obviously oblivious to the dire situation at hand.

"Natsu! I saw a lot of really yummy fish! I wanted to eat them all!" Happy beamed.

"I had to stop the fool from falling into the water and scaring them," Carla sighed.

"Good, Happy's here," Erza said. "Now, both of you, LEAVE!"

"A-Aye, sir!" Natsu and Happy cried in unison.

And with that, the fire dragon slayer and the Exceed stormed out of the Fairy Hills dormitory and never looked back. Erza slammed the door behind them, dusted off her hands, and looked at Wendy.

"Hm? Wendy, are you alright?" Erza asked, concerned.

"I-I..." Wendy mumbled, blinking rapidly as if she was trying to decipher whether she was dreaming or awake.

"From the looks of it, I think she's made progress," Carla mentioned quietly.

"Progress?" Erza said.

"Oh, nevermind me," Carla said, "It's nothing."

* * *

It took some time for Wendy to react to what had occurred that evening, and when she finally did, she was thrashing about on her mattress and tearing her hair out. She couldn't believe she began her long-awaited confession, but she was interrupted by Erza, and now she'd probably have to start all over again.

To her delight, Carla seemed to understand her anger and determined that they needed to regroup and find a new way to approach Natsu. But, the second Wendy agreed, Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Erza left on a quest to apprehend a group of treasure hunters in a village across the continent. And as the Exceed expected, the news forced Wendy to return to her enraged and irritated self, who would strike at anyone who said Natsu's name. Considering the turn of events, Carla realized she was becoming angry herself, and madly wanted to slug Natsu for leaving in such a hurry. Overall, the infuriated duo were tense for an entire week, making the whole guild stand on edge.

It wasn't until Lucy invited them out for an afternoon shopping spree when they calmed down and regained themselves. Of course, Wendy was a bit uncomfortable being around Lucy, but she had to remember that although Lucy have been her rival, she was still one of her best friends. The blue-haired girl made sure she wouldn't lose her temper and felt as if she was walking on eggshells around the Celestial mage. However, by the time the girls arrived at an outdoor restaurant for lunch, Wendy was smiling and laughing like a child.

"So then, Natsu tried to burn the fish with his fire, but he missed and hit Happy instead! Haha!" Lucy laughed. "He always does the stupidest things!"

And just like that, Wendy's good mood was gone. She chuckled nervously, and tried to stay seated in her chair, or else she knew she'd lunge at Lucy and grip her neck tightly. To get her mind off her horribly terrorizing the blonde, Wendy continued to eat her food and sipped her drink. After Lucy finished another story about her missions with Natsu, she quickly excused herself and dashed to the restroom, leaving Wendy and Carla alone.

"You should be honest with Lucy, Wendy," the Exceed said.

"What do you mean?" Wendy asked.

Carla huffed and crossed her arms. "You know what I mean. If you're worried that Lucy may like Natsu, you should ask her. Then, you'll know."

Wendy scowled. "I-I can't do that! If she does like Natsu, what will I do then?"

"And if she doesn't like Natsu, you won't have to worry anymore."

Wendy sighed and looked at her plate. "Carla, I understand your point, but I can't do it. At least...not right now."

"Hmph. Fine," Carla snarled.

Wendy refused to look at her, knowing the white Exceed was most likely glaring at her, waiting for her to surrender. The sky dragon slayer ignored her partner and ate the rest of her salad and drank her beverage heavily, hoping the excess amount of liquid would give her an excuse to run to the bathroom. Before she could leave, Lucy returned, and from the look on the Celestial mage's face, she noticed the awkward change in atmosphere.

"Uh, did something happen while I was gone?" Lucy asked.

"N-No, it's nothing." Wendy laughed.

"Actually, Wendy and I were just talking about you, "Carla admitted.

"C-Carla!" Wendy stuttered. _What was she doing?!_ They specifically agreed to not mention any of their conversation, and now Carla was going to blab everything!

"Eh? About me?" Lucy said, confused.

"Yes, we've been wondering this for a while now, but..." Carla began. "Do you like Natsu?"

* * *

**A/N:** And we end in a cliffhanger, what will Lucy say? Stay tuned to find out in the next chapter!

Thank you all so much for reading, and please tell me your thoughts or whether you have any questions in a review! :)


	4. I Like You

**A/N: **Hello, it's been quite some time! I'm so sorry about the _very very_ late update once again, especially after such huge cliffhanger. By this time I had expected to be finished with the story, but with studying for my final exams and suffering from writer's block, it was difficult to actually start writing again. Sorry about that. :( Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and trust me, everything everyone's been wanting to know about our characters is all revealed...and there's even a pretty hot scene included. There, that's my only warning! Enjoy! ^_^

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fairy Tail.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**I Like You**

"H-Huh?" Lucy said, her mouth agape.

Wendy laughed nervously. "Carla, stop teasing her! She's just joking, Lucy, y-you don't have to answer."

Carla ignored her partner, and instead kept her eyes locked on Lucy's dumbfounded gaze. "So, do you like him or not?"

"W-Well, I do like Natsu," Lucy said. "But only as a friend. He was the first person I met when I came to Fairy Tail, so we're really close, but other than that..."

"There's nothing between you two," Carla said in a matter-of-factly tone, and Wendy knew she was staring at her.

Lucy nodded. "Geez, what was with that question anyway? You guys didn't have to be so serious about it."

If it were not for their place setting and Lucy's appearance, Wendy would have fallen off her chair and laughed hysterically. Truly, what was she worried about? The entire time she wanted to strangle her friend, but Lucy never thought of Natsu romantically at all. Wendy could hear the angels singing in her head. Oh, praise the sky god that was watching over her!

"Sorry," Carla chuckled. "We just wanted to make sure you'd be honest. You know, there are a lot of rumors about you two, so we were curious."

"I heard about these rumors, but please pay no mind to them. Everyone talks too much in that guild," Lucy sighed. "Anyway, let's move on! Oh, I know! Wendy! Who do you like?"

Wendy couldn't help the baffled expression on her face and blinked twice. "Huh?"

Lucy leaned her chest onto the tabletop and stared at Wendy intently. "Oh, c'mon, I know you have to like someone. Tell me, tell me!"

Panicking, Wendy looked at Carla, who merely shrugged, signaling to the blue-haired girl that she was not going to help her out of this situation. Of course, Carla would back out when it'd be most important!

Nervous, Wendy gulped and finally decided she'd have to lie. "I-I... don't like anyone in the guild! Actually, I have a problem...with dating my team members. I mean, if our relationship didn't work out, it'd cause trouble for everyone and our mission."

She sounded like an idiotic woman trying to sound dignified. Wendy sweat-dropped. If Lucy believed her lie, she either had a lot of faith in her, or she was not as intelligent as she appeared. Wendy refused to look at Carla. The Exceed was undoubtedly doubled over in a fit of giggles.

"Oh...I understand. I guess that's the same with me," Lucy said, shocking both Wendy and Carla. "Alright, fine, but someday you're going to fall in love with someone, and I'm going to find out who!" Lucy smirked.

Wendy laughed awkwardly. So Lucy really did have a lot of faith in her! Or...there was the other option. Humiliated, Wendy took a forkful of her salad and ate, determined to concentrate on how delicious it tasted than on their conversation.

The rest of their outdoor occasion hadn't changed much from its embarrassing beginning, but it did sometimes become entertaining. Wendy's greatest ideas were to fill her stomach with as much food as she could and persuade Lucy to do the same, so they both would be too bloated to say another word. Finally, after another 20 minutes, the group ended their outing and started to part ways.

"Oh, wait. Before you guys leave, I have something to ask," Lucy said.

"What is it?" Wendy said.

Lucy pressed her index finger to her chin, as if in thought. "Um, well, I guess it's really a question for Carla."

"Me?"

"Recently, my landlord increased my rent without telling me. Something about not paying my rent on time, haha... Anyway, I have enough to cover the previous amount, and I'm just off a couple of 1000 Jewel. B-But, my landlord really likes...cats." Lucy bent down somewhat to reach Carla's eye level and placed her palms together. "Please help me, Carla! All you have to do is act like a cat as much as possible and pretend that you like her. If you do that, I'm sure she'll lower my rent!"

Carla crossed her arms and huffed, "I refuse to be degraded by some insane cat woman." The white Exceed looked at the ground, seeming to contemplate her options. After some careful consideration, she bit her lip and spoke again. "You...do seem like you need help. And it's only one day, correct?"

Lucy nodded.

"F-Fine, I'll do it, but you better make sure you can pay your rent next time!" Carla shouted.

"Thank you, Carla!" Lucy clapped her hands and cheered.

"You'll be by yourself for now, Wendy," the Exceed turned to her. "I hope I'll be back before it gets dark."

Wendy nodded and waved the two off, as they left together. She smirked. It seemed to be a fitting punishment for Carla after she forced Lucy to confess her relationship with Natsu, but her confession did make it easier for the sky dragon slayer to be around her. It would be awful if Wendy had to end their friendship because of a boy.

On the long walk home, Wendy soon recognized a strange feeling in her heart. She was sad. For the first time, in a very long while, Carla was not by her side. The Exceed's arrogant behavior and condescending tone irritated her indeed, but she would always be her best friend and companion. Sighing a bit, Wendy tried to cast her thoughts away and continued her pace to Fairy Hills.

* * *

It was nightfall by the time Wendy emerged from her bath and returned to her bedroom, hair soaked and wearing a bath towel. She quickly changed into her pajamas, brushed her hair and read a new edition of _Sorcerer's Weekly_. While she read, she caught herself staring at the doorway several times. Carla still had not returned.

With a sigh, Wendy quieted her thoughts and continued flipping through the pages of her booklet. Even the baffling stories of missions other guilds accomplished and the latest interviews with the most famous wizards couldn't help her think straight. Irritated with herself, Wendy placed the magazine on the nearby nightstand and decided she needed to somehow fall asleep.

The sky dragon slayer looked towards her doorway one last time, but headed near the light switch and turned the lights off, blanketing the room in a dull darkness.

It was then, as she was about to crawl into bed, when she smelled that rather familiar scent of burning embers and sandalwood. Wendy rushed to the window, but sulked when she discovered no one was outside. She tried to lay on her bed and become comfortable under the covers, but she quickly realized she was having difficulty doing so. The scent remained in her nose, expanding and stretching to the point where nothing else could invade her sense of smell. No matter how much she tried to sniff her fresh laundered comforter or catch a hint of the lingering scent of catnip in Carla's bed, Wendy could not stop sniffing the charcoal or dismiss the incredible sensation it was placing over her body.

Friendship, affection, love,_ lust_. The words tumbled into the sky dragon slayer's thoughts, repeating themselves enough to make her squirm and turn her body constantly. Her chest was heaving and her breathing was ragged, matching her shaking legs. Desperately, Wendy wanted to dip her hand down into her pants, where the intense fire centered in her being, and she did. Weeks ago, she would have been ashamed, but now, she reveled in the fact that she wanted her mate more than anything.

Her entire body burned as she dug her fingers into herself, and a moan escaped her lips. It felt amazing! She was now thankful Carla and Lucy took their time, this gave her free range to do whatever she wanted! With new-found courage, Wendy touched her chest and began to unbutton her top. She imagined Natsu looking at her, touching her, and kissing her. Wendy smiled. "_I want you..."_

_**-BANG!-**_

_**-BANG!-**_

Believing an earthquake erupted in Magnolia, Wendy stopped herself and jumped off her bed and landed on the floor. She scrambled to find her bearings and stared at her soaked hand with disgust. _What the hell was happening?!_

"Wendy! Are you there?" a masculine voiced sounded on the other side of the door.

Wendy's eyes were practically out of their sockets. She steadfastly buttoned her top and hurried to turn on the lights. _This isn't happening_, _this isn't happening_, she repeated to herself, and prayed the voice was from one of her roommates pretending to sound like a man. (Yes, she realized this was incredibly stupid, but she still prayed!)

"Wendy, it's me! Natsu!" the voice, apparently Natsu's, said.

Wendy shook her head and repeated her chant again, _this isn't happening, this isn't_ _happening_! Perhaps she was having an extremely lucid dream and refused to wake up? In that case, she would only need to pinch herself and then she'd awake to see the morning sunshine and Carla sleeping peacefully in her cat bed. Wendy did so and cried out in pain. Dammit, she was awake!

"I-I'll be there in a second, Natsu-san!" the girl shouted, rushing to the bathroom.

Wendy flicked on the lights in the small interior and glanced at her image in the mirror. Her hair was frizzy and sticking out wildly, her pupils were dilated, and her cheeks were flushed crimson. Despite feeling the sticky residue on her fingers, she turned on the faucet, washed her hands, and splashed her face with cold water to lower the heat in her body. Her plan seemed to be working, as she regained her composure, but she still had to dispose of the small stain on her pajama pants. Sure, as long as she stood while she talked to Natsu or kneeled if he wanted to sit down, she'd be fine. However, Wendy needed to be cautious. One small move and she'd be the most humiliated girl in all of Fiore.

After brushing her hair down, changing her underwear and putting on a light blue pajama outfit, Wendy opened the door. Natsu looked at her suspiciously.

"Well, that took a long time," he said.

"I-I'm sorry! I wasn't expecting you," Wendy stammered, sweating profusely. "W-Why...are you here?"

"Sorry, I came here without telling you," Natsu said. He cast his gaze aside and scratched his head. "I got injured again on our mission...and I was hoping you'd help me..."

Although shocked, Wendy caught her breath and smiled sheepishly. "Sure. I'll do everything I can to help."

* * *

Wendy's hands were trembling. She interlocked her fingers, but nevertheless, she still shook and squirmed.

Natsu was sitting on the floor, without his waistcoat on, and Wendy sat behind him, hands positioned over the large wound on his back. She had to wonder how Natsu continued to receive these horribly formed bruises on his body, but she simply blamed it on his recklessness, or in his words, it was always Gray's fault. Wendy concentrated her magic on the wound and soon it became lighter and smaller.

"Um, Natsu-san. I'm surprised you didn't bring Happy with you," she said.

"He was tired after our mission, so I dropped him off at home," Natsu said, and then sniffed the air. "Nee, Wendy...you're room smells kinda weird. Like..."

Wendy mentally cursed herself. She forgot Natsu had the same nose as hers, and his was probably stronger! She needed to lie fast. Wendy sighed. She already performed a _stellar_ performance this afternoon, but maybe Natsu would take the bait.

"Oh, um, it's most likely Carla's cat bed. She'll sometimes eat catnip before she'll fall asleep. She's with Lucy right now, so you can probably smell it more," she said.

"She's with Lucy? And are you sure? I thought catnip smelled like—" Natsu began.

"Um, Natsu-san! ...Where did Erza go? She was with you on your mission, right?" Wendy asked, hoping Natsu wouldn't press on with the subject matter.

"She didn't want to wait until morning to turn in our finished request form, so she went to the guild after we arrived back. Since I thought she'd take a while, I came here. I figured this was your room by remembering your smell," Natsu said.

"I see. You know, Natsu-san, you can't keep coming here. If the other girls find you, they'll try to kick you out again," Wendy said. She moved her hands down to his lower-back to lighten more of the discolored bruise.

"I wouldn't have to, if you came with us on our missions," he sighed.

"Huh?" Wendy blinked. What did he just say?

"I understand you and Carla needed to rest, but our missions haven't felt like they used to since you left," he said, wistfully. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...I miss you."

Immediately, Wendy stopped her healing and looked down at her thighs. He missed her? Was her absence that important to him? Wendy placed her hands on her cheeks, feeling the blood rise to them, and shook her head. _This isn't happening, this isn't happening! _

"Wendy?" Natsu said, tilting his head back to look at her.

"Natsu-san...you're... really kind," she said, still staring downcast.

The two sat in silence for the remainder of the healing, but Wendy was grateful the silence provided her time to focus on her task. After a couple of minutes, Natsu's bruise had lightened and Wendy stated he should no longer feel any pain. He thanked her.

"Wendy...about our conversation last time," Natsu said, shrugging his waistcoat back on.

"Hmm?" She hummed, and then recalled her failed attempt to confess to him. She wondered how he remembered after he hurried to leave the dormitory, afraid to face Erza's wrath. But, more importantly, why was he bringing it back up?

"You asked me who I liked," he said.

Wendy's eyes widened. "I-I j-just wanted to know. C-Carla and I heard a rumor that you m-may like someone, haha..."she blushed.

"Oh," he sighed, but then smiled. "I thought... it was because you had a crush on me."

Wendy's eyes were the size of saucers. She was hyperventilating. This part of the evening must have been a dream, right? Maybe she fell asleep while she worked, and Natsu kindly left without saying anything? Wendy looked at the floor, a flurry of ideas roaming into her mind of how to escape her predicament. She'd have to pinch herself again, but that proved her to be awake. She tried to think of something else. Perhaps, she should move the conversation forward, change the topic.

Wendy looked up to comment, but before she knew it, Natsu was in front of her. "N-Natsu-san, I—," she muttered, face scarlet and body shaking.

"Because...I like you, Wendy."

Wendy stared at him, dumbstruck. She wanted him to repeat himself, she wanted to confirm she wasn't hallucinating. But then, something inside her snapped. Her overall worries and embarrassment vanished. Oddly, she felt light, the large weight of stress and fear of rejection melted off her being and she was tranquil and calm. She wanted to laugh. Carla had been right the whole time. And she was a fool.

With hooded eyes, Wendy gazed at Natsu and smiled. "Natsu-san, I love you."

She stood a little on her tip-toes, staring into his eyes, and kissed him. It was as she always imagined her first kiss: sweet and innocent. But when she released him, she noticed the new taste on her lips. Wendy unconsciously licked them. She wanted to taste him more...

"I love you too, Wendy," Natsu said, and he too, had the same expression.

His eyes were half-lidded and he was breathing harder. He lowered his head and cupped her cheek. Wendy loved the warmth his fingers provided and placed her own on top of his. She admitted her love again and he kissed her. The heat surrounded her, making her pull and tug at his lips, almost biting and bruising him. He attacked stronger, nipping her and sucking on her bottom lip. Needing to breath, they parted, fangs exposed and staring at each other seductively, entranced by the sheer moment of being together.

"I love you," Wendy confessed, and Natsu kissed her open mouth, forcefully thrusting his tongue inside and licking her. Suddenly, Wendy felt her back against a wall, not even aware they were moving. Natsu moaned and lifted her in his arms, surprising Wendy, who breathed his name and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was placed on her bed, as he positioned himself on top of her and lifted her chin to kiss her.

"Wendy, I..." Natsu murmured.

Wendy nodded and smiled, "It's alright, Natsu-san. Do whatever you want to me..."

* * *

**A/N: **And no, this is not another cliffhanger. Thank you for everyone that has reviewed/liked/favorited/followed my story! Like I've said before, knowing people actually like my story really makes me happy. ^_^ Thank you all so very much!

Sadly, chapter 5 will be the last chapter, but I do hope you stay tuned and I hope to upload as soon as possible! Thanks, again! - Delta


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